UTEP starting point guard Julyan Stone left Dos Pueblos High School less than three years ago measuring 6-3, 150 pounds.
Stone has adjusted to his Texas-sized surroundings nicely since then, landing in San Jose this week having grown to almost 6-feet-7 tall and 205 pounds. There’s no doubt the stage has grown, too, as Stone is back in California playing in his first NCAA Tournament.
UTEP meets Butler in Thursday’s first-round clash with tip-off set for approximately 1:45 p.m.
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“The best for me is to hop off the plane and on the bus and having security follow you,” Stone said after practice on Tuesday, soaking in the experience.
Stone has started all 32 games for the 26-6 Miners, helping lead the program back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2005 and the 17th time in school history.
“We played good basketball this year,” Stone said, confident that his team can justify its darkhorse status. “We hear that. We have the talent. Anybody can go for 20 points on this team”
Many like the Miners even though they’re a 12 seed because they were hot down the stretch, winning 16 games in a row before losing to Houston in the Conference USA title game.
“I was shocked to see the seed that we got,” UTEP head coach Tony Barbee said on Wednesday. “Those guys don’t pick the tournament seeds, but when you see the prognostication two weeks up from all the bracketologists, all the talk had us in the 7, 8, 9 range.”
In the way is Butler, the No. 5 seed with a 20-game streak and 28-4 record. The Bulldogs are also experienced, making this their fourth straight Tournament appearance.
“We know they’re a real good team,” Stone said. “They have a lot of good players, their big man is good, they have Gordon Hayward who is able to do everything on the court and Shelvin Mack who is a great shooter, and they’re a great team and really fundamental.”
Stone, a junior that has started since his freshman year, played the second-most minutes on the team this season averaging 6.1 points per game, 5.4 assists per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. “JuJu” needs only 40 more assists to break five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway’s school record of 563.
It shouldn’t be a problem as the Miners figure to be even better next year without a senior on their roster this season. Junior Randy Culpepper leads UTEP in scoring at 18 ppg while sophomore Arnett Moultrie joins juniors Derrick Caracter and Jeremy Williams as consistent double-digit scoring threats for Stone to feed.
At the moment, however, all Stone and his teammates are worried about is Thursday’s game and what would be a Texas-sized win for the Miners.
